Airport shifts: from crisis to opportunity for global flower supply chains

Many flower players in the Nairobi-to-Amsterdam supply chain heaved a sigh of relief mid-November when the Dutch government withdrew its plan to reduce flights to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. However, the redirection of flower shipments to nearby Liège Airport has begun and is likely to continue. With less of a history in our field, Liège can become a scene of losses or a symbol of resilience and opportunity, says Jeroen van der Hulst of FlowerWatch B.V. .

The Dutch government announced in September that it planned to cap the number of flights at the Amsterdam airport at 452,500 per year from 2024 – 9.5% below 2019 levels and lower than a previous cap proposal of 460,000. Until then, the number of permitted flights was 500,000, with plans for further expansion. In November the cut was cancelled: due to pressure from the European Union and the US government, the number for 2024 went back up to 500,000. The decision to cut back was aimed at reducing noise and pollution. The number of all-cargo flights into Amsterdam had already decreased by 9% in September 2023, compared to September 2022.

Worried growers

Before the cap was withdrawn, airlines and freight forwarders had been exploring alternatives for several years, with many flowers from Kenya being redirected from Amsterdam to nearby Liège Airport in Belgium. ‘In 2018, most flower shipments from countries like Kenya went to Amsterdam,’ says Jeroen van der Hulst of FlowerWatch. ‘Today we estimate that over half go to Liège.’ The withdrawal of the Amsterdam flight cap does not mean the shift will end, he adds.? ‘A massive, unmanaged shift, not guided by anyone, has begun and will continue.’

High time-temperature exposure

Van der Hulst’s company, which monitors flower performance up and down supply chains worldwide with data loggers, on-site audits, vase life tests, and more, has already observed major challenges resulting from the shift to Liège. ‘Airports like Liège do not yet have the cold storage facilities or the clearing speed that Amsterdam has, And importers in neighbouring countries, like the Netherlands, Germany and the UK, do not have infrastructure geared to alternative airports.? This means that flowers from places like Liège are en route longer with a far greater risk of high – and very damaging – levels of time-temperature exposure. Many Kenyan farmers are worried. Farmers in other African and South American countries shipping flowers to Amsterdam, such as Ethiopia, Columbia or Ecuador,? are also on the alert. If the shift continues unmanaged, despite the Dutch government’s decision, it can seriously damage business and regional growing reputations. It may even mar the image of the flower industry as a whole.’

Resilience is within reach

In Van der Hulst’s view, shifts like this one ?show how important it is that flower supply chains worldwide are made more resilient. ‘When a shift occurs, or even before, our industry must step up and invest. We all know how this kind of investment transformed Nairobi International Airport in Kenya years ago: when they faced a cold chain crisis due to a backlog in infrastructure development after many years of rapid growth, the industry pulled together and realised a 300% increase in cold store volume. It’s doable.’

"When a shift occurs, or even before, our industry must step up and invest." Jeroen van der Hulst, CEO, FlowerWatch

Investments will be earned back

Van der Hulst states that similar optimisation efforts can be applied to places like Liège. ‘We’ve calculated that an immediate investment at Liège of around 3 to 5 million euros in ‘make cool’ infrastructure, such as vacuum coolers, can turn the tide. Introducing night shifts for rapid processing of shipments at the airport or with the importer, as well as developing more flexible importer infrastructures will also help. As an industry, we must act quickly and take ownership of challenges like these. I believe the sector can quickly earn back the investments needed to adapt to such changes.’

‘Make cool, keep cool, re-cool’

Van der Hulst goes go on to explain how ‘make cool’ facilities play a pivotal role in the revamp of supply chains. ‘The key to successful flower cold chains is: make cool, keep cool, and, if necessary, re-cool. We’ve proven this with our Sea Freight Development Agenda , where consistently cooled flowers arrive at their destinations fresh and healthy even after several weeks of transport.’

From awareness to quality standardisation

The Seafreight Development Agenda was built on FlowerWatch Quality Standards, which could also have a huge positive impact in supply chain challenges like the present one, says Jeroen. ‘This particular situation is of dual origin: an airport not yet equipped to handle new and growing volumes, and an importer infrastructure not yet geared to this particular airport. The first step toward overcoming this is awareness. The second is the embracing of quality standards that will lead to better airport facilities and importer infrastructure. For instance, standards will help ensure immediate breaking of pallets or make-cool measures on arrival. If as players we pull together, intercontinental supply chains can be made highly resilient to sudden shifts without quality loss: we can turn potential crises into opportunities.’

Learn how FlowerWatch’s Data-Driven Insights programme ?makes flower growers, forwarders and buyers – and their supply chains – more resilient.